Trixie wakes up a few minutes after being zapped by Gray Muffin.

Or was it a few hours? Or perhaps a day?

Trixie doesn’t know how long she had been unconscious, and it doesn’t help that she’s underground without a clock in sight. But despite those things, Trixie feels like she had been given a new body and that she can fight an army with her bare hooves. Not even the odd aftertaste of tingly dirt in her mouth can crush the feeling of revival gracing her. However, like all good things she has, this does not last.

Trixie tries to stand up, but her hooves remain firmly planted to her sides and only her head is able to be lifted. When she raises her head with great strain, though, she sees an open door, painted blue with stars on it, and it leads to a hallway that is bathed in bright light with two shadows, one of a mare and the other of a stallion.

Trixie's heart thumps loudly in her ears and her throat tightens as her lungs struggle to give her air from the panic sucking it all away. No matter much she tries to fight it, no matter how hard her muscles flex and her teeth grind, the straps remain firm.

“Eclipse, I know you're sad, but she is still our little girl,” says the mare.

“Mom?” whispers Trixie. She grunts and fights harder in her straps that are now digging into her skin, rubbing off her azure coat and burning her skin. Tears swell in her eyes from the peeling sensation. “MOM!”

“I know she is my daughter, and that is why I want her to be better than she is now. I don't want her to be a failure,” says the stallion, sounding suspiciously like Eclipse.

Trixie stops struggling and stares at the shadow that sounds like her father. His words of not wanting her to be a failure hover around her like a poisonous smog, her throat clogging with a wet lump and tears burning her eyes and sliding down her cheeks.

“But you should not force her to be who she is not,” says Braille.

“And why should I not help her change to be better than she is now?” counters Eclipse sharply. “What can she possibly gain from being weak and dependent on everypony around her? What kind of father would I be if I raised a daughter that uses her disability as a reason to be a leech?”

Trixie stops fighting and collapses on her bed, eyes staring straight at the ceiling and the glow in the dark moon and stars painted above it. Her lips tremble and the straps break off, allowing her to curl up on the bed, feeling smaller. She starts trembling and she squeezes tears from her eyes, whimpering quietly with her ears folding against her head.

She hears more voices come from the shadows, all whispering over each other, their tone demeaning and snickers mocking her. She presses her hooves over her ears and curls up tighter to stop the flood of cruel whispers flooding into her mind, quietly begging for them to stop.

“Why should we stop, Great and Powerful Faker?” sneers one of the voices. This is a stallion with horrendous breath, and his voice travels around her as he paces around Trixie, but she refuses to open her eyes. “Why should we give the wicked like you rest? Why do you deserve solitude when your actions have brought fear and pain?”

“Please, leave me alone,” begs Trixie, feeling drained of all her regeneration and now small and defenseless against the onslaught.

“But you've always wanted attention, right?” says a mare harshly right in front of Trixie's face, making her scrunch tghter. “You always have to show off. You always need to be the center of attention. Now you are getting it!”

“I gave ya attention, darlin',” says Sunshine, making Trixie's eyes snap open to see a black mass before her smiling at her with glowing red eyes and bright white teeth. He leans forward and licks his lips, sending a chill all over her body, and she shrinks back, shaking her head and whimpering her begs that he meets with excited chuckles. “Are ya ready for another round?”

Trixie yells and jolts upright, heart racing and shaking body soaked in sweat. Tears stream down her face and her chest heaves with her panting as her eyes dart around the room in search of Sunshine. When she sees no one but Redheart, she pulls her blanket to her chin and bows her head, sniffling and shaking even more.

“Oh my goodness, are you okay!?” Redheart asks worryingly.

Trixie ignores Redheart’s attempts to figure out what had happened, but her silence only pushes Redheart to ask more questions.

“It sounded like you were having quite the nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?” asks Redheart.

Trixie shakes her head, still trembling and sniffling, but she is quick to notice that she no longer feels any physical pain, in which she silently thanks Celestia for that. However, when a cool rag dabs at her forehead, her muscles lock and she jerks away, staring at Redheart with big eyes that are still soaked with tears.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” assures Redheart with a kind smile.

“How do I know that?” asks Trixie, her voice quivering and her eyes searching the nurse's face for signs of malice.

Redheart sighs patiently, puts the rag in a bucket and sits down next to Trixie. “Because I took an oath to protect and heal others, and besides, my special talent is in fixing up broken ponies. I can promise you, I would never want to hurt you or anypony else.”

“Unless they deserve it, right?” says Trixie quietly, her eyes drifting to the thin blanket and new tears dripping off her cheeks.

Redheart opens her mouth to speak, but quickly clamps it and looks down, obviously unable to answer the question.

“How long was I asleep?” asks Trixie as she tenderly rubs her head.

“Let’s see here... I’m going to say about fourteen hours,” says Redheart, eyes rolled up to the ceiling and hoof to her chin to emphasize her thinking.

Trixie's eyes bulge. “Fourteen hours!?”

Redheart shrugs. “Give or take a few minutes.”

Trixie is about to say something, but she notices that she has the same weird aftertaste from her dream. When she tries getting rid of the taste by scratching her tongue against her teeth, she notices the satchel of mushrooms Terra had earlier is resting on the ground. Empty.

Trixie tries to use her magic, but when all that comes out is a pathetic spark, she pales and leaps off the bed, away from Redheart and steps back when the nurse gets up, very much concerned.

“What's wrong?” asks Redheart carefully.

“What's wrong? What's wrong!? You poisoned me those mushrooms!” shouts Trixie.

She hears Redheart say something, but the words are a jumbled mess of gibberish since all Trixie can hear is her ragged breaths and racing heart. Then her eyes dart between Redheart and the infirmary door as her brain tells her to flee while she still can. She made a mistake thinking that she can trust them, but now she sees them for who they are. Crazy ponies who like drugging, beating and zapping their prisoners! She knows she has to escape while she still can or else they will keep her for their sadistic tortues!

“Trixie, you need to calm down or you'll end up hurting yourself,” says Redheart calmly, her voice clear enough for understanding now.

Trixie doesn't say a word and instead tries to bolt past Redheart in a mad dash to get to the door. However, before she can even pass the door, Redheart sticks out her hoof and close-lines Trixie full on in the barrel. She flies off of her hooves and lands on her back with a loud crack and a flash of white to go with the smart pain attacking her skull.

Trixie seethes and her eyes snap wide when Redheart pins her down. Her heart races and she struggles to free herself from the earth pony, but the nurse's natural strength overpowers her and keeps her pinned, leaving her only able to suffocate in panic.

“Let me go, you bitch!” shrieks Trixie.

“You need to calm down this instant!” says Redheart sternly.

Trixie grits her teeth and tries pushing Redheart off again, but the nurse presses Trixie's forehooves against her chest and lays down on top of her as hard as she can to keep the unicorn from moving. Trixie's almost explodes from her chest and her lungs burn as she relives the horrible even of being trapped by a superior predator without any means of defending herself. She closes her eyes and tilts her head away, shivering and whimpering with tears falling to the stone floor as the nurse's breath brushes her coat. She can only think of Sunshine at that point, and she swears she can hear her rapist giggling in her ear.

“Please, let me go. I don't want to be here,” sobs Trixie weakly.

“Look, we aren't going to hurt you here. You are safe, okay?” says Redheart. Her hard expression softens and she climbs off of Trixie, scoops her up in a hug and rubs her hoof along the unicorn's spine in gentle motions, shushing her in her ear. “It's okay, Trixie. We're your family, now, and we won't let anything happen to you, I promise.”

“You shouldn't make promises. They are too easy to break,” says Gray Muffin, his solemn voice echoing off the walls.

Trixie opens her eyes, sniffling, and sees Gray Muffin wearing his usual attire walking towards them with the same hardened expression she saw in Barnville. After Redheart looks over her should and sees the stallion, she releases Trixie and stands up, offering a salute, which he politely returns.

“The mushrooms have fully healed the patient, but I'm afraid she didn't react well to them emotionally,” says Redheart.

“As expected,” says Gray Muffin. “Normally I would let nature take its course, but we simply do not have the time for slow recoveries. But now that she is awake, Redheart, you are to go to Roar Shock's chambers. He needs to talk to you immediately.”

“...Yes, sir.”

Redheart's hoof snaps to a salute and just like last time, it is returned in kind. The nurse gives Trixie one last look before she heads out, and once she is out of the room, Gray Muffin looks at Trixie, who is keeping her eyes on the floor, shaking and sniffling.

“You said you didn't want to be here, correct?” says Gray Muffin.

Trixie nods, barely able to make so much as a whimper.

“Even though I warned you that commitment is lifelong and that there is no backing out once you walked through those doors?”

Again, Trixie nods, but adds in a faint whisper: “Yes, sir...”

“Let this be a lesson for you, then. Each action you take has a reaction, and depending on what you do, you can either shape your moment or your life and you must deal with the consequences. Not run away from them.”

Trixie looks up at the earth pony, eye twitching slightly with boiling rage as she thinks about her old life and how the consequences of her actions led to her ruin. She wants to chew him out and tell him all about how she tried to deal with the chain of events after the Ursa Minor in Ponyville, but seeing his stony expression, her rage quickly retreats and she looks down, submitting defeat with a nod.

“Follow me,” orders Gray Muffin. “It is time for you to meet your other trainers.”

Trixie nods and wordlessly follows Gray Muffin out of the infirmary with her head down and tail dragging. The hallway they walk down is mostly dead, with just a few stragglers strolling through, and on the way, Trixie notices wires stapled to the walls that lead to various lights and gem and coal powered heaters. With the amount of heaters the hallway feels just a little bit stuffy to Trixie, though, and she wonders how Gray Muffin can stand walking around with his outfit on top of his fur and the long line of heaters.

They walk in silence for a couple of more minutes before Gray Muffin opens up metal door leading to a massive, circular chamber with benches and candles surrounding a large mat. She stares in awe at the scope of the room, and she feels really tiny, like a foal looking at the dark tip of the sky, when she sees the domed roof. It has electrical lights hanging from sturdy beams, heaters and ceiling fans, and color coded wires snaking up the wall like vines. She then notices an observation box sitting on top of a twenty foot tall stand with stairs leading up to it and tinted windows hiding whoever may be inside. Then there is a terrible cry of pain and Trixie squeaks and retreats behind Gray Muffin while he continues forward, barely looking over his shoulder to order her to follow him.

Trixie swallows and walks after the stallion in shaky steps, cowering slightly when there is another thud followed by a scream of agony.

“Twenty nothing!” boasts a stallion with an exotic voice.

At this point, Trixie is looking at the source of the commotion and sees a zebra stallion with a freshly cleaned pelt standing smugly with his hoof pressed on the back of a fallen unicorn. His victim's eyes are closed and his tongue is hanging out as he groans, and around the zebra is a circle of more ponies, a couple of griffins and an ibex. All of them look like they can barely move and are muttering complaints of pain. Some more colorful than others.

“It looks like Adanz is having his fun,” says Gray Muffin dryly.

Trixie looks at the zebra, watching him with a mix of fear and wonder as he flashes a cocky smile and waves his hoof challengingly at a group of four pegasi. The group exchange looks, nod, then they take flight in different directions. What happens next makes Trixie seethe and fold her ears down in response to the thuds, screams and breaking objects, all while Gray Muffin snorts in disgust and walks along the edge.

“Adanz, you can't keep showing off like that. It is unhealthy,” lectures Gray Muffin.

Trixie finds herself silently agreeing with that statement.

The zebra, Adanz, looks at Gray Muffin, grinning deviously as he keeps one of his hind legs pressed between a pegasus' wings and holds the other in a choke hold. The other two lay on the ground, moaning, with one rubbing his wing and staring at Gray Muffin with big, beady, watery eyes, much like a hurt puppy. The second one is lying on his back on top of what remains of a bench and is now the helpless target of ridicule from the audience.

“But, Master Muffin, showing off is a crucial part of being me,” says Adanz with nigh uncontrollable giggles.

Then he sees Trixie and his eyes bulge and with an excited gasp, he throws the choking pony aside and makes a few big leaps towards the pair, stopping short of Trixie and grinning from ear to ear, making her stumble back fearfully.

“Another unicorn!? Fascinating!” says Adanz energetically. He grabs Trixie and turns her for a profile view, making her yelp in shock. “Nice cutie mark. A specialist in magic, yes?”

“I-I-I-” stammers Trixie, sweating and shaking uncontrollably as her heart races and throat clogs from the hoof going all over her.

“Be gentle with her. I saved her from Sunshine,” says Gray Muffin as he moves Adanz away from Trixie, keeping him bay with his hoof.

Adanz's excited smile disappears and he gasps in shock. “Oh my. You poor pony. You are lucky Gray Muffin saved you from a terrible fate.”

Trixie barely sees Gray Muffin's eyes lower, but before she can make an attempt to think what that means, Adanz's hoof shoots out, grabs her from her neck and pulls her in for a tight hug. Her whole body tenses and she looks at Gray Muffin, silently begging for help when the zebra starts nuzzling her.

“It's okay, though. You're in good hooves, now,” assures Adanz.

“Let her go, Adanz,” orders Gray Muffin. The zebra is quick to obey and Trixie stumbles back, shaking while the earth pony speaks to her. “Adanz and Wazza are our hoof-to-hoof specialists. They will be training you on how to engage in close up combat, which is what you will be experiencing most of the time. And speaking of your brother, where is he, Adanz?”

“Right here!” blurts another exotic stallion right next to Trixie's ear.

Trixie nearly jumps out of her flesh as she shrieks and leaps away from the voice, unintentionally bumping into Gray Muffin. When she looks at the source of the voice -fur straight up, mane frazzled and heart racing- she sees Adanz with Terra standing next to him. She blinks and looks to her side and sees Adanz smiling at her, then she looks in front of her again and still sees Adanz. She looks back and forth with quick snaps of her head as the gears in her mind spin and smoke and send sparks of confusion to blind her thoughts. She can't think! She has absolutely no idea what's going on and it is driving her crazy!

“What?” squeaks Trixie pathetically.

“Moron,” scoffs Terra. Trixie glares at the female unicorn version of Gray Muffin as she waves her hoof between the two zebra stallions. “They're obviously twins and it looks like you broke something trying to figure that out.”

The Adanz clone, Wazza, tsks and lightly pats Terra on the back. “Must you be so insensitive to others, my little mud jewel?”

Terra snickers and rubs herself against Wazza, looking him in the eyes with a sideways glance and a alluring smile, complete with a tail brush. “You know I must, my striped pony.”

The two giggle and Trixie grimaces, and she looks at Gray Muffin when the psycho mare in front of her scratches the underside of the zebra's chin. The older stallion stares at the two with a growing frown, and they only stop when he clears his throat.

“Save it for off time,” orders Gray Muffin.

“Uncle, it is my off time,” points out Terra flatly.

“And mine, too,” adds Wazza quickly with a raised hoof.

“Then save it for some place private!” says Gray Muffin sharply.

The sharpness of his tone makes Trixie jump, but the only effect it has on the couple is a burst of excitement as marked by their exchanged grins. The two then gallop off, leaving Trixie's mind like a completely blank black board, completely devoid of everything. Not even a chalk smudge of thought can be concocted. Once the two lovebirds are out of sight, her mind and body manage the greatest feat of the minute. A blink.

Adanz smirks at Gray Muffin, he is glowering at the doorway with his thin fur bristled, grumbling about the meeting not going as planned.

“Fret not, Master Muffin, Trixie and Wazza will have plenty of time to get acquainted in the Arena,” says the zebra lightly.

Gray Muffin snorts and turns his glare to the zebra. “Adanz, I told you too many times that the Arena is no place for that kind of activity. We do not need any distractions here. Especially that kind.”

Adanz snickers and slithers behind the earth pony and places his hooves on his shoulders. “You and Master Shock are too tense for your own health. Here, let me rub you all over with this technique my dada mkuba showed me. It really releases the tensions in the muscles and will make your positive energy flow better.”

Trixie puts a hoof to her mouth to hide the growing smile when Adanz's hooves start kneading Gray Muffin's shoulders with smooth, tender motions. Seeing the hardcore killing machine in front of almost completely melt into the working hooves of another stallion, even though he is obviously trying to resist the temptation of relaxation. However, as soon as Adanz starts humming a relaxing song in the old stallion's ear, his eyes become heavy and he sits on the floor, breathing softly through his nose and his body swaying in its spot. Adanz slides behind Gray Muffin and continues his massage and therapeutic lullaby from his better position, and he glances at Trixie and gives her a mischievous wink.

Trixie can't help it at that point. A small, childish giggle escapes her, and quicker than she has ever seen him, Gray Muffin's snap open and he spins to face Adanz with a glare and his hoof jabbed against the striped chest.

“Do not do that to me ever again!” says Gray Muffin angrily in a near shout, which scares Trixie's smile away but does absolutely nothing to faze Adanz.

When the zebra opens his mouth for a rebuttal, he is cut off by the earth pony pointing at the cadets that he laid waste to just minutes before.

“Collect your trainees and show them how to defend themselves properly this time,” orders Gray Muffin.

Adanz bows theatrically. “As you wish, Master Muffin. Then we will resume your massage when you have your off time.”

“No we will not.”

The zebra ignores him and does an about face, then prances on the Arena mat while calling all his pupils to a circle. Trixie watches the battered and bruised recruits stagger on to the mat, most able to walk by themselves, but some needing help from their companions to walk. As the group sits down, a pony wearing a white hat trots out dragging a cart behind him, and he so kindly levitates ice packs to each recruit. While this happens, Gray Muffin motions Trixie to follow him, and she does so without question or desire to ask how the massage was.

She does without question, and takes a seat next to him, where they both silently watch Adanz explain a fighting style called Fallen Ceasar. Even though the zebra is moving slowly against the recruit he is using as a dummy so the others can see how the maneuvers work, she still finds the tactic terrifying. Especially when Adanz explains the effects of well placed hooves with the proper amount of force to the neck.

“And there will be blood everywhere and you will be sick unless you are prepared,” says Adanz, trying very hard to be stern with failing results. He pats the recruit on the back and returns him to his spot just so he can give another recruit a chance at public humiliation. “Now, this method is not lethal, but if done right it will make your target puke.”

The recruits chuckle and Trixie spots a small smile from Gray Muffin out of the corner of her eye.

“Adanz and Wazza love that one,” says Gray Muffin.

“The puking thing?” asks Trixie.

Gray Muffin nods and silence falls between them again as they watch Adanz give instructions.

“Can you tell me about the League?” asks Trixie hesitantly a few minutes later. When Gray Muffin glances at her out of the corner of his eye, she swallows and looks down at the floor, pawing it nervously. “I-I mean if that's okay with you. I'm just wondering since... since I'm, um, part of this thing now.”

Gray Muffin stares at her for a few more seconds before looking back at the recruits. Trixie can see the old pony's gears turn in his mind, but she doesn't know if he is thinking about a history lesson or if he is trying to decide if he should deny her or not. Another few seconds pass and her question is answered, starting with a deep breath from the stallion.

“The League of Justice has been around for a long time,” begins Gray Muffin. “It was founded by Abigail Pansy shortly after the founding of Equestria. Our nation was still new, so there were... complications. Corruption, disputes, and injustice was rampant and threatened to dismantle everything the Founding Three worked towards. Abigail Pansy was always quiet and timid, but she knew what had to be done. She knew that sometimes in order to fight evil, to fight injustice and corruption, matters must be taken into our own hooves, and against the will of Smart Cookie, Clover the Clever and Princess Celestia, she did just that.”

Adanz orders everyone up, puts them in pairs and has them stand across from each other to create a path for him to walk through. As the zebra walks down his path, he gives instructions on how everyone is going to exchange “gentle blows” of the methods they have just learned.

“Abigail Pansy formed the League of Justice, and with every member of every tribe and groups of every race in our land, they silently purged those who were fueled by their own vices rather than the Greater Good,” says Gray Muffin, his tone neutral and his gaze fixated on the recruits who are now hesitantly going at it with awkward and embarrassingly bad movements. “Prosecutions were made and the guilty faced exile or imprisonment. But despite our best efforts, we could not stop the Lunar Revolt. In Luna's quest to achieve her dream of True Harmony, she became Nightmare Moon and our organization was nearly destroyed by the war. Some sided with Celestia, some sided with Luna, most wanted only what was right for the people, but the Loyalists and Separatists believed that there was no neutral ground and that crippled us with division.”

Gray Muffin's tone drops and he leans forward slightly, staring intently at Adanz as he patrols the pairs practicing, shouting orders and directing those who make a mistake with their maneuvers. The zebra is patient and seems to have a lightness in his steps and an eagerness in his demeanor when he gives his instructions.

“But we have always been fighters,” continues Gray Muffin, his voice grim and wrinkled eyes squinting at the fresh recruits. “We have survived everything and will continue to do so, for we will always be the shadows of the defenseless, ready to act as their sentry when needed. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to abandon Pansy's original creed of bloodlessness. After your father failed taking over Ponyville, we realized that we could not be the silent guardians Equestria needed unless we strayed from our original path. Now, criminals and corrupt officials live in fear of us because we show no restraint in removing the likes of them from our society.”

“So, I’m guessing I’m going to have to, uh... To take a life, huh?” says Trixie uneasily after a moment of silence.

Gray Muffin nods slowly. “I warned you of what was ahead, but you didn’t listen. At least you’ll be killing evil ponies.”

The two resume silently watching Adanz guide the recruits through the motions with his hoof-on training, and a minute later, a thought strikes Trixie. Now that she’s part of this special group, no one will mess with her, and she’ll be fighting evil. Although the thought of killing is still uncomfortable to her, she has a feeling that she’ll get used to it and probably get brownie points for the Afterlife for stopping evil ponies. She’s never been the religious type, but she’s wondering if this is the chance of redemption she has been praying for, for all the years she’s been homeless. It certainly seems like it.

Trixie sees a better future for her, and she’s certain that Gray Muffin, despite his dark characteristics, is the mentor she’s been searching for, and needing, since her mother passed away. He did save her from Sunshine after all and she knows he is being protective of her. With those thoughts in mind, she smiles and relaxes in her seat to enjoy the show, prompting Gray Muffin to give her a quick glance before doing the same.

Redheart steps inside a large, domed roomed with stone walls and various electric cables, heating units and lamps placed in strategic places. Her steps echo as she goes further in, and her eyes drift towards a massive map of Equestria with Barnville, Dodge City, Appleloosa, Detrot, Stalliongrad, Fillydelphia and Canterlot all circled. Barnville, Dodge City and Appleloosa are X'd out, as well as multiple spy-cam shots of Sunshine and dozens of other ponies, griffins and zebras. There are more pictures of various others, mostly griffins now, each in a cluster above a city with the largest picture being of Gilda. Her black and white photo is just above Canterlot, and with it a picture of two more griffins -one female and the other a scarred, buff male- and what looks like a unicorn-zebra hybrid.

Redheart looks away from the map and sees a brown diamond dog with a head of gray hair sitting next to Roar Shock. Next to the diamond dog is a rusted and dinged up metal box with a faded red cross on it, and he is gently holding the pegasus' hoof with one hand while the other skillfully positions a syringe filled with brown liquid over a vein.

“Are you ready?” asks the diamond dog, his low voice being amplified by the stone walls.

Redheart steps closer and notices that Roar Shock's blue eyes have lost their color to a gray mist just before he closes his eyes. Once the pegaus has closed his eyes, he takes a breath of courage, nods, then braces himself with his head resting against his throne.

“Do it,” orders Roar Shock.

The diamond dog hesitates, then injects Roar Shock's vein with a brown liquid and the pegasus tenses with teeth clenched tight and a trail of tears leaking past his squeezed eyes. When the syringe is empty, he releases his breath, deflates on his throne and looks at the diamond dog with a grateful smile while rubbing the injection point.

“Thank you, Doc,” says the beige pegasus, the blue returning to his eyes as he speaks.

“No problem, Mister Shock. Is there anything else I can do for you?” says the diamond dog.

Roar Shock shakes his head and the diamond dog, Doc, packs up his equipment and strolls out of the room, nodding politely to Redheart along the way. Once the diamond dog is out, she takes a deep breath and trots forward.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” says Redheart uncertainly, her voice bouncing off the stone walls.

“How is Trixie?” asks Roar Shock venomously.

“She fully recovered with the healing mushroom as expected, but her magic will be gone for at least a day.”

Roar Shock humphs. “Good news, I suppose.”

Redheart silently nods and the pegasus in front of her narrows his eyes at the map, putting his attention on Ponyville and a picture of Mayor Ivory Scroll. There is a moment of silence between them, but when the nurse takes a breath to speak, Roar Shock starts talking.

“Redheart, when you became a nurse, you took an oath to protect and heal the injured, correct?” he says condescendingly.

Redheart nods again. “Yes, sir.”

“I also took an oath. After all these years I barely remember the words to it, but I still remember the message. The promise I made. I promised to defend Equestria from any and all enemies, whether they be foreign or domestic. Every day I fight because of this promise, and now you must fulfill yours in a new way.”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“To you, protecting is fighting diseases and infections, and healing the injured is about mending their broken bodies.”

“Yes...”

Roar Shock taps his hoof against the nightstand next to his throne. “There is an infection that must be removed.”

Redheart swallows nervously and her legs feel like stone as she walks towards the nightstand. She takes a breath and turns the file to herself and flips the folder open to see black and white spy-cam photos of Mayor Ivory Scroll in various situations talking to the pair of griffins whose photos have been tacked to the wall with Gilda and the zony. Stamped above the profile detailing her name, age, gender and the rest of the basic information is a skull and crossbones.

“This is the mayor of Ponyville,” says Redheart in disbelief.

“The greatest criminal of Ponyville,” says Roar Shock with a disgusted sneer, “and when she is out of the way, Golden Harvest will get her seat. She is a mare of superior standings and will put the town on a path of healing.”

“But there is no guarantee that she will get the seat if something happens to Ivory Scroll. There will be investigations and-”

“Save your excuses for somepony who cares. We need to put Golden Harvest in, and that is final.”

“But why her? I know she's running for mayor, but she has absolutely no experience in anything! She's a carrot farmer for Celestia's sake! I don't even think she attended school!”

Roar Shock holds up his hoof, a saddened frown growing and a faint mist tainting his eyes as he observes his hoof like he is searching for a hidden map on his own fur.

“She and I share more than just similar views,” continues Roar Shock quietly. He exhales and drops his hoof to look back at the map. Specifically at Ponyville. “She is not as... Extreme, you can say, but she understands that there are codes and responsibilities in life that cannot be infringed upon. We both found that out the hard way and what we need are leaders who understand these codes, these responsibilities, and leaders that have virtues that can guide us back to what made our nation great in the first place.”

There is a moment of pregnant silence between the two, and it only ends when the pegasus releases an explosive sigh, drops his hoof and stares at the map critically.

“All that aside, you haven’t been paying attention to your duties, Redheart, and because of your laziness Ponyville has succumbed to the same corruption that is destroying Equestria. You will help save it, thus bringing this country one step closer to the paradise it once was,” says Roar Shock firmly.

“But you can't mark Mayor Scroll for death! She's a good mare!”

Roar Shock narrows his eyes and Redheart gulps and steps back when a growl rumbles through his throat and his muscles twitch, aching for a charge. When he tilts his head so he is looking at the nurse, she sees nothing but pure hatred and blood-lust churning in his eyes. She takes another step when he leaves his throne and walks towards her with slow, meticulous steps, ruffled feathers and bristled fur.

“You speak as if you have been paying attention to Ivory Scroll's deeds,” sneers Roar Shock. “But you are so incompetent of your most basic of duties that you do not see that vice is her virtue and that she has blood on her hooves. Ponyville needs you to do your duty just as it did ten years ago when Eclipse tried to take it over. You will free Ponyville from the Grizelda Mob and from Mayor Ivory Scroll and her administration's corruption, and that is non-negotiable.”

Redheart stares at Roar Shock with drooped ears, wide eyes and a tight throat, fighting against every muscle in her body to keep herself from shaking. When Roar Shock turns away from her to go to the other side of the throne, she exhales and drops her head, only to jump into attention when a heavy container is dropped in front of her seconds later. Redheart looks at the strange, rectangular case, and when Roar Shock pops the box open with his hoof and nudges it towards her, she peers inside. Inside the box is an earpiece attached to a backpack that has a folded down antenna, a mechanical rectangle with a large Tesla coil and batter pack, and a pamphlet for a funeral service held for a cat named “Mittens”.

“Your new gear and proof of your funeral attendance. Dismissed,” says Roar Shock.

Redheart swallows and her heart thumps slow and hard as she looks between the pegasus and the weapon.

“Do I really have to do this?” asks Redheart softly, her eyes moistening with the building tears.

Roar Shock's only answer is a harsh stare, and Redheart sighs heavily and nods after wiping tears from her eyes. She then reluctantly picks up the items and profile without further protest and trots towards the exit with her head down. She briefly stops to look at Roar Shock in a silent plea for him to reconsider, but his cold demeanor says enough.

Author's Notes:

Added 10 Aug 2014